Launched in mid-2009, Goss International's ‘bankable hours' approach to service contracts has hit the mark with newspaper printers in the UK and Nordic regions.
The bankable hours concept provides reduced labor rates, depending on the block of hours a publisher or printer books in advance and the length of contract. The plan also provides total flexibility in the use of those hours for electrical, mechanical and controls maintenance, as well as training and routine or emergency service. This allows Goss International customers to plan work throughout the year, with known costs.
Several newspapers in the region have chosen this Goss International service option recently, including the Shropshire Star in the UK, Schibsted Trykk and Faedrelandsvennen in Norway, and Highland Web Offset located in Inverness, UK. In most cases, conversion to the new plans has not only optimized service and maintenance expenditures but also targeted specific plant requirements.
Goss International offers similar service plans in other regions of the world.
The targeting of specific requirements is exemplified by the Shropshire Star, a publisher that looked to Goss International for an "unbiased, objective view" on how to return its presses to commissioning status, according to works and technical director Graeme Clifford. Clifford signed up for a bank of hours that can be used, on demand, for a variety of jobs, and confirms that, "The bank approach is ideal, not only to keep the presses running efficiently but to carry out specialist investigations to ensure long-term optimum productivity and print quality."
The Shropshire Star has three sites in the UK's Midlands region - Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Telford. All have Goss Colorliner presses that were upgraded in 2003.
"Keeping these presses printing as if they are new is our top goal," confirms Clifford. "There are plenty of resources available to help us with this task, but a one-stop-shop at a fixed price is attractive in itself. Add to this the fact that Goss International knows its own products inside out, and you can see why it makes sense to go back to the manufacturer for maintenance.
"We have been really pleased with the impact of the bankable service contract on our business. After achieving a significant reduction in start-up waste at each location, our next target will probably be to develop better training programs for our in-house teams to support continued improvements."
David Tootle, Goss International customer services manager, believes that a service plan with bankable hours is the best approach at any time and especially in a difficult economic environment. "In difficult times, a budget squeeze is a double negative for printers," he explains. "With capital investment restrictions, there are pressures to optimize all existing equipment, but maintenance budgets are also under severe scrutiny. Some minor problems get left unfixed, and longer-term upgrade projects are put on the back burner. The bankable hours system gives printers the ability to improve management of the problems, while giving flexibility to still carry out specific projects within the overall hours allocation and a fixed labor cost."
Contacts:
Americas & Goss corporate: Greg Norris (greg.norris@gossinternational.com) +1 603-740-5907
Europe, Middle East and Africa : Eric Bell (eric.bell@gossinternational.com) + 44 1772 226 501
Asia Pacific: Cecilia Chou (cecilia.chou@gossinternational.com) +1 630 -755-9381
The Bespoke Agency: Fiona Rasburn (fiona@bespoke.co.uk) +44 1737 215 200
